It's just that it's been repeatedly explained to me by folks from the company that since the manufacturing costs are greater for the metal framed guns than the plastic ones, the metal ones would have to sell for more money in the highly competitive market.

As much as some folks still appreciate a traditional double action pistol, I'd suspect that increasingly more folks are probably going to be inclined to have the "simpler" trigger (meaning one consistent trigger stroke), and they'd probably see paying less for a pistol that holds 4 more rounds in the magazine (2 more in the restricted states), and having replaceable grip inserts, as being the better bargain for their money.

I think it fair to suspect that if the TDA guns had been selling strong, with constant distributor demand and disappearing as fast as they could be turned out, they'd still be in production.